1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicle clutches and more particularly to a bearing pressure plate to be installed between the throw-out bearing and clutch release fingers.
In a vehicle clutch construction, a clutch throw-out bearing surrounds the transmission input shaft and is moved axially along this shaft by the clutch pedal for engaging the clutch release fingers to separate the clutch pressure plate from the stationary clutch disk secured to the adjacent face of the flywheel thus disengaging the clutch for shifting transmission gears. Contact between the throw-out bearing and the clutch release fingers results in a three-point frictional wearing-out action of the throw-out bearing necessitating its replacement. This is a time consuming and relatively expensive repair in that the gear train, including the transmission of the vehicle, must be disconnected from the clutch in order to remove the old throw-out bearing and install a new one.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior patents generally relate to the construction of throw-out bearing and connectors joining clutch release fingers to the throw-out bearing rather than a friction reducing bearing plate to be interposed between the throw-out bearing and clutch release fingers for minimizing wear of the throw-out bearing as a result of the clutch fingers frictional rotation on the bearing face.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,863,537 discloses a heavy duty friction clutch including a throw-out collar coaxially mounted on one end of a sleeve surrounding the drive shaft and supporting the throw-out bearing at its other end portion with adjusting nuts interposed between the throw-out collar and throw-out bearing for adjusting the spacing therebetween and insuring application of braking disks for stopping angular rotation of the drive shaft while shifting gears. The periphery of the throw-out collar is provided with sockets for nesting the adjacent end portion of the clutch release fingers.
This invention is distinctive over this patent and my copending applications by providing an annular washer-like plate surrounding the drive shaft and interposed between the inward end of the clutch fingers and the adjacent face of the throw-out bearing. The annular plate loosely surrounds the drive shaft and its surface opposite the throw-out bearing has a plurality of radially open socket forming members secured thereto for nesting the inward end portion of the clutch release fingers and maintaining the annular plate concentric with respect to the vehicle drive shaft in its movement toward and away from the throw-out bearing as the clutch pressure plate is engaged and released.